Lesson-11 Information System Development

• Describe the motivation for a system development process in terms of the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) for quality management.

• Differentiate between the system life cycle and a system development methodology.

• Describe eight basic principles of system development.• Define problems, opportunities, and directives—the triggers for systems

development projects.• Describe the PIECES framework for categorizing problems, opportunities,

and directives.• Describe the traditional, basic phases of system development. For each

phase, describe its purpose, inputs, and outputs.• Describe cross life cycle activities that overlap all system development

phases.

Les

son

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Process of System Development

A system development process is a set of activities, methods, best practices, deliverables, and automated tools that stakeholders (Lesson 7) use to develop and maintain information systems and software.

The CMM Process Management Model

The Capability Maturity Model (CMM) is a framework to assess the maturity level of an organization’s information system development and management processes and products. It consists of five levels of maturity as measured by a set of guidelines called the key process areas.

– Level 1—Initial: System development projects follow no prescribed process.

– Level 2—Repeatable: Project management processes and practices are established to track project costs, schedules, and functionality.

– Level 3—Defined: A standard system development process (sometimes called a “methodology”) is purchased or developed, and integrated throughout the information systems/services unit of the organization.

– Level 4—Managed: Measurable goals for quality and productivity are established.

– Level 5—Optimizing: The standardized system development process is continuously monitored and improved based on measures and data analysis established in Level 4.

Level

5

OPTIMIZED

Level

4

MANAGED

Level

3

DEFINED

Level

2

REPEATABLE

RISK

COMPETITIVENESS

Level

1

INITIAL

Cap

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Life Cycle versus Methodology

• A system life cycle divides the life of an information system into two stages, systems development and systems operation and support.

• A system development methodology is a very formal and precise system development process that defines (as in CMM Level 3) a set of activities, methods, best practices, deliverables, and automated tools that system developers and project managers are to use to develop and maintain information systems and software.

A System Life CycleA System Life CycleConversion

ObsolescenceObsolescence

LifetimeLifetimeof aof a

SystemSystem

LIFE CYCLE STAGE

System Development

usingSystem Development

Methodology

LIFE CYCLE STAGE

System Operationand Support

usingInformation Technology

Principles of System Development

• Get the owners and users involved.

• Use a problem-solving approach.

• Establish phases and activities.

• Establish standards.

• Justify systems as capital investments.

• Don’t be afraid to cancel or revise scope.

• Divide and conquer.

• Design systems for growth and change.

Ph

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Ph

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Overlap of System Development Phases

ID

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Project management

Preliminary investigation

Problem analysis

Requirements analysis

Decision analysis

Design

Construction

Implementation

Operations and support

May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan

2004 2005Task Name

Project Identification and Initiation

• Problems are undesirable situations that prevent the organization from fully achieving its purpose, goals, and/or objectives.

• Opportunities are chances to improve the organization even in the absence of specific problems.

• Directives are new requirements that are imposed by management, government, or some external influence.

The PIECES Problem-Solving Framework

P the need to improve performance

I the need to improve information (and data)

E the need to improve economics, control costs, or increase profits

C the need to improve control or security

E the need to improve efficiency of people and processes

S the need to improve service to customers, suppliers, partners, employees, etc.

FAST

Sys

tem

Dev

elop

men

t Pha

ses

Cross Life Cycle Activities

Cross life cycle activities are activities that overlap many or all phases of the methodology.

– Fact-finding

– Documentation and presentation

– Feasibility analysis

– Process and project management

A repository is a database where system developers store all documentation, knowledge, and products for one or more information systems or projects.

Sharing Knowledge via a Repository